Cold Trip
by reminiscent-afterthought
Summary: Sequel to Present Ideas. Mountains, snow, the sea, forests and three weeks together. What could possibly go wrong?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes**

So here it is…finally. The long awaited sequel to Present Ideas that several people requested. It got longer than I expected, since there were so many fun scenes to use, so I turned it into a multichaptered fic, but seeing as it's small and relatively cute, save for one particular segment of the tale, it's pretty high on the priority list.

Enjoy, and sorry for the long delay. Got about three quarters through the first page, then hit a writer's block, then I got up in other updates, and…yeah.

* * *

><p><strong>Cold Trip<strong>

Sequel to Present Ideas. Mountains, snow, the sea, forests and three weeks together. What could possibly go wrong?

Kouichi K & Kouji M

Genre/s: Friendship

* * *

><p>'Why exactly are we meeting at the airport again?' Takuya asked, tapping his foot near Kouji's bag as the two stood waiting for the JR Yamanote Line train bound for Shinagawa. 'Wouldn't it have been easier for all of us to go together?'<p>

Kouji rolled his eyes, before looking over to his father and step-mother talking a few feet away. 'Because,' he explained, gritting his teeth slightly, 'it means Izumi and Tomoki have to take the reverse train, Junpei will have to take an extra connection and Ni-san and 'kaa-san can get to get there directly from the Asakusa line. Since we all need to go to the airport anyway, it's just easier to meet up there.'

'So we'll see Izumi and Tomoki on the train then?'

'If the unlikely circumstance of all of us boarding the same train and carriage occurs, then yes Takuya.'

'Geeze, you don't have to sound so annoyed.'

'I'm starting to regret agreeing to this...'

'At least you won't have time to finish,' the brunette quipped, ignoring the annoyance and pointing to the arriving train. 'Train's here.'

* * *

><p>Everyone was, remarkably, on time, visibly saving what little remained of Kouji's patience, all bundled up in warm clothes and their luggage crowded at their feet.<p>

'Waiting long?' Takuya asked, blinking at everyone who had made it before them, which was essentially all save their own little group and Junpei who had arrived right after them on the next platform.

'Not at all,' Izumi replied. 'We just got here, and bumped into Kouichi and Kimura-san downstairs.'

Kouji just looked at his brother, who smiled and nodded.

'Can we go now?' the younger twin huffed, causing his stepmother and birthmother to simultaneously scold him while Izumi eyed the brunette who had accompanied them suspiciously.

'He was already grouchy,' Takuya said in his own defence.

'Sure he was,' Junpei replied, looking as though he really didn't agree.

'He _was_,' the other brunette insisted, as Kouichi giggled lightly.

'He is,' he affirmed. 'Developing a cold.'

'I'm not Ni-san,' Kouji growled, tightening his jacket around himself. 'You're imagining things.'

The elder twin giggled again at his brother's stubbornness as Tomoko eyed him critically.

'Honestly 'kaa-san. I'm fine.'

'If you say so.' But she didn't sound convinced.

By then, Kousei, who having wandered off to get the tickets sorted out, had returned with the passes, handing them out to each person. The twins were grouped on one of the window-seats, with the married couple on the other. Junpei, Tomoki and Takuya were on the aisle, while the two females left were in front of the twins. Which meant there were only two problems. Who out of the twins got the window seat (Kouichi after a small discussion) and who out of the other three boys got the unfavourable middle (Takuya, after several rounds of rock-paper-scissors). Izumi had automatically taken the aisle, seeing as it was easier to talk to the boys that way, and the adults were relatively unconcerned about how they arranged themselves.

The ride itself wasn't long, and the turbulence was enough to keep all occupants wide awake...relatively. But the accompanying taxi trip, involving three vehicles and some argument about how the groups split while keeping an adult in each one, led to the twins taking one with their birthmother, the other boys with the only male adult, and Satomi and Izumi taking the last.

Kouji comfortably nodded off in the back seat on his brother's shoulder, only to wake up when Kouichi opened the door to the cold snowy cabin somewhere in the Hidaka Mountains, just on the urban side of the Hidaka pass, overlooking the sea of Japan when one climbed to a sufficient altitude.

'Are you okay?' he asked concerned, blocking half the doorway as he crouched forward, perhaps on purpose to block the cold air.

'Sure,' Kouji yawned slightly, stretching. 'Just too excited to get to sleep last night.'

Tomoko, from her conversation with the driver, chuckled, and Kouichi grinned slightly. 'So that explains your grouchiness ne?'

'I was not grouchy.'

'You were,' Takuya called from beside the other taxis. 'You said three words in the last few hours, saving right now.'

'He's right you know,' Junpei affirmed. 'And that was to complain about the hold-up at customs.'

'Can we not start a fight _already_?' Izumi sighed, before shaking her head. 'Boys.'

* * *

><p>'So...now what?' Takuya asked, bright and early the next morning...well, after Kousei had left in the wee hours for a preliminary meeting of some sort which was going to go on till nine that evening, taking Satomi with him to get some grocery shopping done.<p>

Junpei, Kouji and Izumi were seated around the table as Tomoko washed up breakfast, saving a plate each for Kouichi and Tomoki, the former which was still asleep and the later in the bathroom.

'Wait for Kouichi to wake up,' Izumi sighed, shaking her blonde hair. 'And then we'll decide something.'

'I tell him to go to bed earlier,' his mother commented from the sink. 'But he's always restless till about one in the morning. So I gave up and just let him keep himself busy until he gets sleepy, then sleep in later in the mornings to compensate.'

'He wouldn't get much sleep in school days,' Junpei pointed out, a little curiously. 'Unless he naps.'

'He naps,' Kouji affirmed, grinning and in a far better mood than he had been the previous night. The non-existent cold was still that, so he was doubly thrilled. 'I took photos.'

'Oh, show! Show!'

'Keep it down,' Tomoko shushed as the others crowded around the cell phone, a little too late though as there was the noise of someone rolling into something, then a muttered conversation before Tomoko trailed into the kitchen looking a little sheepish.

'I think I accidently woke Kouichi up,' he confessed, before the woman laughed and shook her head slowly at the drowsy son that trailed behind him.

'He can sleep to earthquakes,' she assured. 'More likely he woke up on his own.'

The boy flushed, quickly retrieving the toothpaste that Tomoki was still inexplicably clutching before retreating to the bathroom himself.

'So...now what?' Takuya asked again once Kouichi returned and stated on his share of rice, miso soup and Tamagoyaki, already bored (the pictures had been put away by this time).

'Snow?' Tomoki suggested, pointing outside, where the white flakes had piled up slightly thicker than the previous night upon their arrival. 'There's not much here though.'

'The snow should be thicker a bit past the Hidaka pass,' the elder twin supplied. 'In the valley past the first lot of mountains.'

'That's a bit of a hike,' the eldest in their group of six groaned, but he was quickly outvoted as Izumi trilled something in Italian.

'Great,' the energetic brunette declared, jumping up, before being yanked down by Kouji.

'If we're going that far out, shouldn't we at least take lunch?'

'And some warm clothes, gloves and mittens,' Tomoko finished sternly.

'Yes Ma'am,' four out of six chorused, before shooting off to retrieve the said items. Tomoki and Kouichi looked at each other, before returning to their meal in slight amusement, though the elder looked slightly bothered about something.

Tomoko noticed, but she said nothing. Whatever secrets he kept would come out when they were due.

* * *

><p>'Tell me we're there,' Junpei groaned from the rear, while Tomoki shot a few paces past the rest to look at the white covered valley.<p>

'We're there,' he announced confidently, digging into the rich snow and leaving two bowl like shapes there. 'This is so great.'

The others joined him, looking at the lush, pure landscape, fig trees brushed with the dusty white which literally covered the flat surface at the base between the folds of mountains.

'All right,' Takuya cheered, throwing a pumped fist into the air. 'Snow day is in session.'

Kouji rolled his eyes, causing his twin to nudge him gently in the ribs.

'So what first?'

'Snowball fight?'

Five teenagers looked at each other, before four suddenly called claims on their youngest member at the same time, causing him to jump and hide behind the one person who hadn't.

'They'll eat me alive,' he mock-whimpered, clutching Kouichi's navy blue jacket with his orange mittens.

'They won't,' the other reassured, a slight mirth well concealed in his voice. 'They're just feeling competitive.'

Seeing the two standing together, the Takuya and Izumi simultaneously groaned, before looking at the two remaining.

'I get Kouji,' Izumi announced, before Takuya could. 'You two together will bring world war three.'

'I'm not a thing to be gotten,' said boy grumbled, but good-naturedly joined the only female as they chose a well lushed spot, before being suddenly doused in cold.

'Takuya!' he shouted, rapidly flinging one back, which missed and almost hit the last pair before both sidestepped, Tomoki retaliating with a ball of his own.

Within seconds, the snowball fight was in full swing.

* * *

><p>'So who won?' the blonde panted, collapsing on a haphazard pile of snow, being quickly joined by Junpei before she shoved him off.<p>

Takuya, brushing snow off his hat, shrugged, looking at the twins, who shrugged themselves, then at Tomoki who had started on a snowman. 'Let's just play in the snow. Who cares who won?'

Everybody gave him sceptical gazes, but shrugged it off as they wondered to various, sometimes non-touched areas.

An hour or so later, they collected by a pile of snow that had been...something, by Kouji, beside with Takuya and Izumi, the latter rather against her better judgement, were snickering.

'Like you could do better?' Kouji shot, cheeks red from both the cold and embarrassment, pointing at Takuya's own mess pile.

The brunette grinned sheepishly, patting the other on the back. 'Chillax bud,' he laughed. 'I was just kidding.' He then looked at the older twin, who looked bothered about something again. 'I'm not kidding about this one though. Did you just seriously dig a hole in the ground that could pass for your grave?'

The other four looked at the said hole, suddenly realising the truth of what he said, while Kouichi slowly shook his head.

Feeling like teasing his brother (he really should have thought this particular one through; they did exchange jokes, insults and pranks on occasions that called for it, but there were certain lines), Kouji pretended to scrutinise the hole. 'It's just my size,' he mused, walking over to it and crouching down, before setting himself tightly into it. 'A little snug, but it fits. Anyone want to cover me up?'

He had been facing away from his twin, so he had missed the initial reaction, but suddenly finding himself looking into his brother's mortified face made him wish he hadn't.

'Ni-san?' he asked, surprised and concerned as he half rose, but the other had already stumbled back a half-step.

'I'm taking a walk,' he said abruptly, leaving before he could get a reply.

Izumi, being the only one who understood, glared at the younger twin. 'Baka,' she snapped, before going after the other. But she didn't say anything. Nor did she narrow the distance to anything less than bare eye sight.

Realising the two who had the maps were both leaving, Junpei ran after the female, leaving the other three to stare at each other in confusion.

'What just-' Takuya began to ask hesitantly, before a mouthful of snow interrupted him.

He spat it out, turning to glare at some animal above him, only for all of them to feel the root they had been standing on shake, tossing them all to the ground in a heap and dumping the snow caught in the canopy on top of them.

'Is there an earthquake warning?' Tomoki asked, in a slight panic as he tried to dig himself out, finally succeeding once the other two had managed to get themselves out of the pile and helped him.

Kouji shook his head. 'We never would have come otherwise. It's so dangerous wondering around snowy mountains with the danger of an-'

He stopped suddenly, looking at the footsteps of the other three. 'Did they go up?'

The remaining two looked at each other, then shrugged. 'Probably,' Takuya replied. 'But why-' He caught on suddenly. 'Shit, they could slip and fall so easily...'

The ground shook again; this time, they clucked whatever holds they could in the dense root system that had been uncovered. A sudden scream, female, far and echoing, almost made them lose their grip, before another, male this time, far more abrupt, following the next tremor almost immediately after, did so.

And then silence deafened them as they lay, half buried in broken debris and snow, waiting for another shudder to continue to crack what was supposed to have been the perfect vacation.

Mountains, snow, the sea, forests and three weeks together. How had it gone so horribly wrong on the second day?


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes**

This would be the least amusing chapter in the entire fic, but I had to do something after that ending from the last chapter. Couldn't just leave them trapped on a mountain, could I? Okay, well theoretically I could have, but food? Water? Life? No can do in practicality, unless I sent a helicopter, sooner they be rescued instead.

Enjoy.

* * *

><p><strong>Cold Trip<strong>

Sequel to Present Ideas. Mountains, snow, the sea, forests and three weeks together. What could possibly go wrong?

Kouichi K & Kouji M

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

Izumi and Junpei, the former in particular, were quite close to the steeping slope of the folding mountain when the first tremor hit. It was one of those slippery paths were a slight misstep could send one tumbling into the scarce network of branches and thorns which eventually shallowed to a drop quite a few kilometres down. Falling right through the plantation, positioned as it was, would almost certainly spell injury at the very least, the closest safe haven, a barely metre across ledge-like structure, about the equivalent of two storeys down. Falling over spelt death, an abyss that went farther than they could see, glittering with fresh white snow far from anyone's reach.

Having been perched on the path when it suddenly shook, the female found herself pitched off with a scream. Junpei was luckier, having been behind and sure-footed enough to simply tumble and be buried beneath a mound of snow from which he rapidly attempted to dig himself out of. Kouichi, almost out of earshot by then, had heard the scream and started back, the tremor having worked in his favour and knocked the obscuring snow from his path. As it was, he was at Izumi's side while Junpei was still uncovering his torso, straining to grasp a flailing hand while the other clung precariously to a jotting branch, knowing how likely it was that another tremor could crack it's foundation.

He had half managed to pull her up (the girl almost as white as the snow far below, lip dripping slightly with red in an effort to keep pain's expression to a whimper) by the time the second tremor struck. Later, Junpei would curse his reflexes; had they been a little faster, the following drama may have been avoided. As it was, he managed to grab the female's hand as the hold was dislodged, but he hadn't anticipated (nor had anyone else) that the instability of the plateau would toss the other into the hornet's nest with a scream dying on his lips before silence deafened.

He would have tried to stop it: really, he would. But he had his hands full with trying to keep the two of them from suffering the same fate; no way all three could fall off the cliff-like structure and hope to survive. But already guilt was gnawing at him, at them, but particularly at him. Was _her_ life worth more than his? Was his conscience covering it up? Or had that really been unanticipated? He hoped the latter, blamed the former...who could honestly state the correct answer without emotion of some sort interfering?

Both above drew in a single, halting breath as though it would inevitably be cut short of its full right, waiting stone still together upon the wavering brink for a third tremor which would irrevocably send one of their best friends to their death. Mercifully, it never came, but it took an eternity long vigil for them to accept that. Minutes had passed at most by the time one had worked up a voice strong enough to shatter the silence and call to the other below.

'Kouichi! Hey? Are you okay? Get up!'

It was rather hard to believe he couldn't hear them. Which left two alternatives, neither they wanted to think about.

Junpei leaned over a bit, admittedly more than it was safe to do so should another tremor hit, but he needed a better visual of the surroundings. The first thing he spotted with the navy blue jacket caught in a thorny nest, and he was about to breathe a sigh of relief before noting that it had been ripped off with a thin trickle of blood, barely visible except thanks to the white contrast from the snow, snaked on the collar. A little further down, on the ledge, he found his friend, half slumped, half tangled on the plants that ran down the mountain's treacherous face, trembling from the cold but otherwise moving not at all.

Izumi stood nearby, still clutching the shoulder that felt dislocated but unable to do anything for it, nor for any of her friends. She could hear the three boys far behind shouting to their lungs limits, but her throat was worn from the sudden fright, not nearly enough force to shout back through the distance and avalanche that separated them, and Junpei's was currently elsewhere occupied and heading to the same direction as hers. Kouichi was probably already there...if he actually tried to use it. But seeing as he was unconscious, as the elder reported, biting his lip and turning away from the cliff's face only to return to it, it was a rather moot point.

'I'm going down,' he said, after another silent pause. He too knew that help and company were too far. They couldn't risk the wait.

Izumi took a step forward, taking the other's old place as he tested the branches to hold his weight before carefully lowering himself on to them, using the running plants uncovered as the avalanche slid past them as a tentative ladder of sorts to further secure his hold. 'Be careful.'

'I will.'

* * *

><p>It took almost ten minutes for him to get down, because a slip had two lives at stake. Luckily, by that time, Kouichi was barely stirring, so he was able to get a secure hold to stop the boy from accidently rolling off his safe haven as awareness returned, without having to drag a dead weight up...which he belatedly realised, one hand securely fastened to one of the stronger nooks of the mountain face and the other strongly gripping his friend as he gently shook him into awareness.<p>

'Hey,' he said, softly yet firmly. 'Wake up.'

The other mumbled something incoherently, eyelids fluttering.

He leaned forward, pulling the teen as close to him as he could; the loss of the jacket provided the added pressure of possible hypothermia, which they would not be able to deal with for the hour it would take to get back to their lodgings (assuming no obstacle hindered their way).

'Kouichi, you really need to wake up now.'

Kouichi moaned slightly in protest, but blurrily opened his eyes. 'Whazzit?' he slurred, barely understandable and causing the one holding him to panic, especially noting the frozen thin trail of red that ran down one side of his face, bunched and clotted above his right eyebrow where he had hit his head years ago.

'Can you climb?' Junpei asked, looking closely at his cloudy eyes, before shaking his head. 'Stupid question.'

The other shook himself, before wincing at the slight headache it caused. 'I can,' he insisted softly, carefully twisting in the elder's hold to rub his eyes, shivering as his bare hand hit the snow, before blinking a little more and spotting the missing glove, carefully reaching for it and slipping it on.

Junpei gave him a sceptical look before standing and helping the other up, both of them taking care not to lean back that little too much and plummet down a hole of no return.

'Go first then,' he said on the chance that he could catch the other if he slipped. He needn't have worried, though he wondered how that was possible, as soon after Izumi was helping him up the last leg with her good arm, calling down to him to hurry up.

He did, trying to reach the jacket on the way, but it refused to come free, and he could do no more with the very real risk of it yanking him back from his hold, so he was forced to let it be, clambering up and over the edge and onto the snow covered ground.

'Now what?' Izumi asked, still paler than usual as Kouichi pulled himself to his feet and examined her shoulder. 'How is it?' she continued, diverting her attention to the fact.

'Dislocated,' the other frowned, careful not to touch seeing as he was having a little trouble controlling their movement. 'The area's swollen too. We shouldn't try setting it ourselves.'

She didn't know whether or not she should be glad or upset at the latter piece of news.

'How is it when you move?'

She attempted to shrug; a bad move with a dislocated shoulder as she found out with a wince and a bit more bite. 'Painful,' she murmured, gritting her teeth in the hopes her bottom lip was still in tact, noting the other's blood still on his face. 'Your head.'

'A scrape,' he replied matter-of-factly, so they had to believe him. He tended to stumble when he lied. 'I think the bump that knocked me out was-' He cut off with a slight wince of his own as his other hand found the bruised skin. 'There,' he finished, a little redundantly, as Junpei brushed snow off himself before collecting a handful in the plastic that had held his lunch and handing it to Izumi, before realising it was the only plastic between the three of them, seeing as the other two had left their bags behind. Luckily, the maps were still in the jacket pockets-

'Shitama,' Junpei suddenly cursed, staring at Kouichi. 'Is your map still in the jacket pocket?'

Kouichi blinked, confused. 'I think so. Why-?' He cut himself off, before realising. That map was currently inaccessible.

'We can't split up,' the elder continued. 'So we have two choices. Try and find the others, or head back, alert a ranger, and hope they'll be fine. And I think it should be the latter one.'

Izumi shook her head fervently, not noticing the boy shivering beside her. 'What if they're hurt? Or worse? And they don't even have a map.'

'We can't go back,' Kouichi said softly, pulling his overshirt around him as tightly as it would go, even though it was freezing cold and completely soaked. 'The snow fell downwards from the tremors. Some gathered here because the ground levels slightly before dipping again, but most of the snow that was on this mountain would have piled at the bottom and all that stands in the way of us and them. We'll sink in all that snow, unable to move at all...'

His voice trailed off, and the other two worriedly noted the words were slightly slurred.

'Are you okay?' Junpei checked again, wishing he could sacrifice his own jacket to the younger but knowing that he would never take it, especially since _he_ would wind up freezing if he did.

'Fine,' the other nodded absentmindedly, shivering some more. 'Just cold and tired.'

The blonde looked defeated, but noted the rational point. 'I guess we had better head back. It'll take us at least an hour, unless-' She cut off suddenly. 'They way we came will be blocked too!'

'Map,' Kouichi replied.

'Huh?' The green eyes blinked, before unrolling the paper, then blinked again. 'Oh, the tunnel runs right over the lower path.' She smiled sheepishly, if a little forcefully. 'I forgot.'

The three looked at each other, all suddenly exhausted. 'Let's go,' the eldest, the self appointed leader whose duty it was to look after the younger two, stated, staring the long trek. 'And Kouichi?'

It took a moment for the speaker to hear what could be taken as a reply. Honestly, it sounded more like an undisguised mumble, but if he needed that energy to walk, it was probably better the speech wasn't legible.

'Next time, can you just punch Kouji instead? Though I admit it will be rather amusing watching him fall over his apology...'

* * *

><p>There were only a third of the way there when Kouichi started coughing. It started out as a normal bout, and he ran a few paces to catch up, waving off the concern and walking for a few hundred more before doubling over for another bout.<p>

A cold hand touched his forehead, which suddenly felt as though it were burning rather distantly. Actually, it had been like that for a little longer, but he had been so focused on keeping one foot in front of the other that he hadn't even noticed.

'You're burning up in the middle of winter?' Junpei asked, exchanging a glance with the blonde before frowning and taking off his jacket. 'No complaints,' he said sternly, not that it looked like the other could really spare one, slipping the garment over the youngster, before pulling the lethargic form onto his back. 'Good thing you're not heavy.'

A slight mumble greeted him, and he was content with that. So long as they all made it in one piece, it would be okay.

Then he could yell at both twins; Kouichi for being so tight-lipped when something bothered him, and Kouji for going about it the wrong way to cheer him up. Though the second one couldn't really be blamed; they were still learning about each other. Nor could the former one really; it was just who he was. Darkness, destined to keep his secrets.

* * *

><p>Takuya groaned, sinking into the soft snow for the uptenth time. 'This is hopeless,' he sighed, exhausted and plopping down onto a desolate Kouji. 'I hope the others are okay.'<p>

'They'll be fine,' Tomoki piped up from his resting spot. 'They're tough.'

'They screamed,' the other muttered.

'Taken by surprise?' the goggle-wearing brunette suggested, fishing for every plausible (and some not so) which didn't involved their friends hurt in any way. 'Startled? Covered in snow like we were? We screamed too you know, and we're fine except stuck and maples.'

Kouji snorted, but this was hardly a satisfactory snort. 'Kouichi doesn't scream when he's startled. He'll just hit.'

'It could have been-'

'I know the voice of my own brother.'

And that put an end to any attempt to drill some optimism into him.

'Hey,' Tomoki said suddenly, bounding off the log which was now nicely dry thanks to their clothes soaking up the moisture. 'Let's build a fire.'

'A whole mountainfold full of snow melting with a flimsy log?' Apparently, Kouji was no better a mood than he had been in the last five minutes.

'No,' the other said patiently. 'But someone might spot the smoke.'

'Good idea,' Takuya clapped his surrogate brother on the back. 'That might just work. And don't you dare protest!' That last part was addressed to Kouji.

He did not, simply because he wasn't in the mood to pick a fight with one of the two companies he had left. Especially since a brother and two friends were somewhere on the mountains, in who knew what sort of condition.

It took five or so minutes for the fire to start, thanks to the experience from the digital world. Kouji even did his bit, to the vague surprise of the other two (they knew he wouldn't pass off a rational attempt at rescue, but they weren't too sure about the mood) and another before they heard a helicopter approaching.

Tiredness forgotten, Tomoki danced around the burning log. 'Yay, it worked!'

'Sure did kiddo,' Takuya grinned. 'They sure were fast.'

'Too fast,' Kouji pointed out, but he was grinning too. 'That means the others made it back.'

Most of him was still worried though. What if the triplet had gotten separated somehow? What if someone was badly hurt?

A sneeze interrupted his pessimism, much to Takuya's amusement. 'The foretold cold it here,' he laughed. 'And you can't blame the snow, bundled up as you are.'

'I'm blaming Ni-san,' the boy muttered.

'And I'm sure Izumi for one is blaming you, though I still don't get why...'

Kouji was silent, having had the time to think and realise his mistake. 'He still feels guilty about Duskmon, after all this time.'

The two brunettes looked at each other, then said nothing as the rescue vessel prepared to land.

* * *

><p>Kimura Tomoko was not pleased. Actually, that was an understatement, but at four in the afternoon, it was about the only thing that could sufficiently describe her. At one, two tremors had been reported as a result of an earthquake a few districts across the other side of the mountains, all fine since very few injuries and no casualties, but it had been enough to cause a series of avalanches across the mountain fold, where her two sons and their four friends were hiking. At two thirty, she had received a call moments before she would have lost her head in worry, alerting her to the fact that three of the six teenagers were now in their care centre, one simply wrapped up with a mug of hot chocolate while the other two, her eldest son being one and the only female in the group of six the other, needed more medical attention. And then, at three, Kousei and Satomi returned to the news, before another call fifteen minutes later alerted them that they had found the other three as well, and that they were now cleared to make their way.<p>

So, by four, she was not pleased. Seeing as worry tended to make a mother cranky at the best of times. Especially since both had come down with colds, Kouichi's more severe than his twin's seeing as he had lost his jacket, but luckily, the worst of it had been stemmed off by Junpei's jacket and then the medic's more medical approach. And that their friend, her shoulder now set and bandaged, was now with a barely usable arm for the rest of the week.

'Maybe we should go home,' she said. 'This hasn't worked.'

'I still have to stay,' Kousei pointed out. 'Work.'

He winced thereafter at the look his ex-wife gave him, but quickly reminded himself that it was necessary.

'They didn't think the impact would spread so far,' Satomi, the voice of reason in this current situation, pointed out reasonably, looking at the group of six huddled in the offset room near the burning fireplace. 'The children are all fine save minor injuries and colds which were bound to show up at some point, and if they want to stay, I don't think we should take that opportunity away from them. And we trust them enough to let them make that decision.'

Not surprisingly, the answer, though separated, was instantaneous. More surprising was the fact that all six nodded off as soon as they were seated in front of the warm fire at home, twins huddled on one couch (the one closest to the fire seeing as they were the two sick), the other three boys on the longer one perpendicular, and Izumi on the one opposite them.

Tomoko still wasn't pleased. But she couldn't help but smile.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes**

Nothing much to say, except only two chapters to go.

Oh yeah, the twin switch thing? That's actually another ficlet of mine, which I'm still less then halfway through. I'm working on it though...slowly. When I can find a seat on the rain and not fall asleep in it.

Enjoy, and tell me what you think.

* * *

><p><strong>Cold Trip<strong>

Sequel to Present Ideas. Mountains, snow, the sea, forests and three weeks together. What could possibly go wrong?

Kouichi K & Kouji M

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

He was awake, but simply too comfortable to get up. In fact, he was too comfortable to wake up, but that aspect couldn't really be helped, seeing as the foggy residues of sleep were quickly deserting him.

That's what he got for being a light sleeper he supposed. It was at times like this in which he wished he was more like his brother, presumably still dead to the world.

Speaking of, what had woken him anyway?

He opened his eyes, a little reluctantly (he would have rather kept them closed at that present moment in time, but he didn't want to be found as a dead cat), to find his face buried into an almost violet pillow, swirling with black.

_Since when did they have pillows like that?_ he wondered, before realising he wasn't lying on a pillow at all, and he shot up from his brother's stomach as said boy gave a light, unconscious moan of protest and slept on in his lap, the heavy blankets that covered them each slipping back into place.

And then he glared at the source which had disturbed his rest in the first place, Izumi's camera, with, apparently, flash still on.

'Whoops,' she said, though not sounding the least bit apologetic from the couch, picking up the paperback she had previously been engrossed in before deciding to sneak in another picture. 'Didn't realise the flash was on.' She smirked as she said it; evidently, him waking was intentional.

'Yeah right,' the other scoffed, not buying the white lie, stretching slightly and giving a small yawn, which turned into a sneeze half-way through. Taking the tissue which suddenly appeared in eyesight, he blew his nose, before thanking Tomoki as he slid back to his own seat. 'What time is it?'

It was Junpei who answered, leaning forward to straighten his back a little. 'A little after seven. Want some breakfast?'

Kouji nodded, and the eldest stood and walked through the entrance, returning a moment later with...a plate of ramen?

'Ramen?' he asked, taking the chopsticks, before grimacing slightly as he realised he hadn't even brushed his teeth. But he could hardly get up with his brother on top of him...still shivering, even after having slept in front of a warm fire for thirteen hours under a warm blanket and stealing some of his body heat...he needed that, thank you very much.

'Your mother said it was easier than the usual breakfast to eat on the couch,' Junpei shrugged, slipping over Takuya and Tomoki's card game to take a seat in the armchair.

'Which one?' he asked, blowing on a scoop. Sometimes it got a little confusing in conversation with two mothers.

'Minamoto-san.'

'By the way,' Izumi interrupted from After Dark, tone transcending on 'biting'. 'Realise your stupidity yet?'

He winced slightly, but knew he deserved the jibe. 'Yeah, I just hadn't thought...or hoped I guess, that-'

'Can someone clue me in?' Takuya asked from the couch, handing his cards over for a reshuffle.

Kouji sighed through his teeth, before looking at his still sleeping brother, then made to continue, only to sneeze again. 'Damn cold,' he muttered under his breath, before actually starting on the explanation. 'After the Digital World, he'd sometimes get nightmares. He'd never tell anyone what they were about, but I'm pretty sure it had something to do with Duskmon, with the way he looks at me whenever one of us slept over and I'd wake him up. He'd hide it most of the time too, so I'm not even sure how often they occur, but because he won't talk about them, just smiles and says everything's fine you know, all I can do is try and cheer him up. He normally laughs at my hopeless sense of humour, so I guess I hadn't thought past the implications of lying in a grave.'

'Which he dug,' the goggle-head said, still sounding rather confused. 'Why?'

Izumi groaned, resisting the urge to whack him over the head with the book; the only reason she did not do so was because the book didn't belong to her. 'Just because your subconsciousness is the size of a pea...'

'I win,' Tomoki suddenly interrupted, taking Takuya's cards and reshuffling again, grinning cheerily at the groan the announcement initiated, Kouji taking the opportunity to finish his breakfast. 'But shouldn't we be talking about this when Kouichi's awake? I mean, it's kinda rude and all talking behind his back...'

Kouji looked at his brother's still pale face, right cheek twitching slightly at random moments. 'It's ironic in a sense. He gets people, but no-one gets him.'

'You do,' Junpei disagreed. 'He's your twin and all...'

'If I had,' the other rebuked, 'I'd have known it would upset him. I'd have known why he was so down in the Digital World-'

'You knew something was wrong,' Izumi pointed out, now content to let things mellow out. 'And you know now. Sure, the two of you don't know each other perfectly...but things would get rather boring if you did. Where would the unpredictability be? The excitement? The life? And I can name quite a few instances where he hasn't, borrowing your word, 'gotten' someone.'

'Oh yeah?' he half challenged. 'Who?'

She met the challenge calmly. 'Gotsumon.'

'Oh.' She one that round with a flying head-start.

She frowned slightly at him. 'Name five times Kouichi's been wrong about something concerning you? Not completely wrong necessarily, mind you, but just...well, missing the mark so to speak.'

He mirrored her look, but more in concentration, one hand automatically running itself through his brother's hair.

'Does trying to convince me nothing's wrong so I don't worry count?' he asked dryly, having trouble coming up with anything else as well as an annoying tickle in his throat. He coughed once to get rid of it, before it erupted into several more...though no-where near how his brother had been coughing once he finally saw him (awake that is).

'That depends on whether it worked,' Izumi said finally, once he stopped, dropping her book before returning with a cup of water which the other gratefully accepted. 'And don't get used to this,' she added, pointing to the other. 'It's only because you're too overprotective. Because you could move him and chances are he won't wake up.'

'True,' Kouji sighed, returning to thinking. 'And it didn't. The twin switch?'

'Where he told you to cook dinner, not knowing you had no idea?' Izumi looked at the others. 'What do you guys think?'

'You can't come up with anything better?' Junpei asked sceptically. 'That's a fairly innocent mistake.'

'Umm...that time in the hospital?'

'When he was being uncharacteristically sarcastic and the Doctor freaked?' If anything, he sounded even more doubtful, though he was beginning to understand the female's point in issuing that particular challenge. 'How does that relate to you?'

The blue eyes rolled in his direction as he set the empty plate on the arm-rest. 'I was there too, and I freaked...for a few minutes.'

'Considering the painkillers and what not, should we count that?'

Takuya shrugged from the floor. 'Painkillers or no, if Kouji really thought his brother was suicidal with that reply to being lectured about not doing stupid things when you're stressed out, then yeah, it counts.'

Tomoki blinked. 'That's what the lecture was about?'

'You know how many of those he got,' the brunette shrugged again. 'Probably got fed up with them. Honestly can't blame him. Though he has one hell of a poker face, so I can't blame you for freaking out.'

'Yeah...' he agreed. 'Good thing 'kaa-san had her head on straight. Now...number four? Well...'

'Whatever,' Izumi rolled her eyes. 'It's enough. Point was, he isn't right about you any more than you're right about him, relatively speaking. Sure, he may be better with other people, but when it comes to the two of you, he's still trying to get his footing as much as you are. Relationship rifts don't heal in a few seconds you know. Sure you're close and all, but you can't know everything there is to know about him in a few years. You can't even know enough about him in a lifetime. And it's the same with him concerning you. So of course you're both going to make mistakes now and then, but you two just need to talk things out when they do...once you've both cooled off a bit.'

'You approve of him walking off?'

'Seeing as he was just trying to clear his head, yeah. The timing was horrible though.'

'...yeah, it was.'

Izumi sighed at the guilt creeping back in. 'Takuya?'

The addressed looked up to meet the green orbs, before nodding and going to stand in front of Kouji. 'Sorry about this bud,' he said, not sounding particularly sorry. Kouji, recognising the tone, made to duck...only to yank back before he almost knocked his chin into his brother's forehead, burning with the fever he was trying to sweat off under duel blankets (seeing as he was worse off than the younger twin after spending almost three hours in completely soaked clothes, and another almost two without anything else which could warm him at all. Junpei's jacket and body heat (or rather, whatever got through the layers) had really helped in the last hour or so; in fact, it had saved his core body temperature from falling too far into the danger zone.

His head shot back up, just in time for Takuya's anticipated fist to connect with it. 'Remind me to thank Kouichi for that one,' he grinned, before returning. 'Izumi, all yours again.'

'What happened to your famous speeches?' the girl grumbled, stubbornly returning to her book...well, not particularly hers.

'Hey, isn't that Kouichi's?' Junpei asked.

'Of course. Who else brings books on vacation?'

'True. True.'

Kouji just rubbed his cheek in vague annoyance. 'Should I ask what that was for?'

Izumi remained stonily silent, so Tomoki, after handing Takuya his share of cards, answered. 'Izumi gives you a lecture about both of you making mistakes, it being natural and all so you shouldn't feel guilty about it, and you go back to guilty tone as soon as she finishes.'

Whoops. He hadn't even noticed his tone.

'And I'll bet my allowance Kouichi's feeling guilty too,' the younger continued. 'I know Junpei and Izumi are.'

'We are not!' the two accused said at the same time, the female's cheeks strangely flushed.

'See what I mean.'

He couldn't help but smile, though his cheek was still stinging. 'Yeah...I do.'

He sort of ruined the moment by sneezing again though.

Takuya groaned, though whether it was from relief or the bad hand he received from the cards, no-one was entirely sure. 'It's about time,' he muttered, before surrendering his cards. 'Redeal them.'

'What?' Tomoki sounded amused.

'You expect me to believe I somehow managed to get the same bad hand twice out of pure luck?'

The boy grinned sheepishly. 'Well...yes.'

'I'm not _that_ gullible. Shuffle them again and this time properly.'

'Um...Takuya?'

'Yeah Junpei?'

'You do realise some of the cards are missing, right?'

'WHAT?'

* * *

><p>The other four had abandoned them in favour for the sea face view by the time Kouichi finally woke up. Of course, disorientated as he was, his immediate reaction was that he was <em>hot<em>, hence attempting to get out of the covers...which is how he landed on the floor with a thud, bringing Kouji, who had zoned out by that time, on top of him.

Kouji, being the overprotective brother he is, was up like a shot, helping his brother back onto the couch and recovering him before the other had fully absorbed his surroundings.

'I'm hot,' he whined cutely, attempting to push the covers off again, only this time the younger twin held them fast.

'Stop it Ni-san,' he ordered gently. 'You've still got a fever.'

Kouichi sunk into the couch, making a tired grimace of sorts. 'Tell me this doesn't mean I'm confined to bed rest.'

'Seeing as you're on a couch, I doubt it,' Kouji said dryly. 'But I've got a question I want answered thoroughly before I apologize. What was your nightmare yesterday about?'

The other paused too long for his lie to be believable. 'What-'

'Don't even try getting out of this.'

The elder twin sunk further into his spot. 'What if I don't want an apology?' He coughed harshly immediately afterwards.

Truthfully, he hadn't thought about that...not that he needed to. 'Somehow, I don't think that will be an issue.'

They were both silent for a while after that. Then, realising his brother wasn't going to relent and wanting _out_ of this situation, Kouichi finally gave in.

'You died,' he began, slowly, reluctantly, coughing again and lethargically waving away the glass that was offered.

'I gathered that much with the grave.'

'I killed you.' He said it rather badly too.

'Does this have anything to do with Duskmon?' Kouji asked, though he had a feeling it wasn't really.

'No...some sort of accident...'

'That you blame yourself for? Déjà vu ne?'

He shifted uncomfortably. 'It was just a nightmare.'

'Which almost flipped in real life. Talk about weird coincidences.'

'Mmm hmm.'

'Kouichi?'

'Mmm?'

'We're-'

'-a bunch of idiots that make mistakes and haven't gotten around to learning from them?'

'How'd you guess?'

'Weird dream.'

'_Dream_ right?'

Kouichi rolled his eyes. 'That's what I said...isn't it?' he paused, scrunching his face up slightly, before it scrunched again in pain.

'Ni-san?'

'Fine, I'm fine. Just a headache.'

'Just?'

'Kou-_jee_.'

'Okay, okay. So next time you have a nightmare, you tell me and we avoid this whole thing. And I don't try stupid, out of character things to cheer you up. Deal?'

'Can I add something?'

Okay, now he was worried.

'What?'

'You stop over-worrying about me. I'm the older brother.'

'If you don't run away from your problems. Figuratively as well as literally.'

'Why do I get the feeling I'm getting the short end of the stick?'

'Sounds equal to me.'

Kouichi rolled his eyes again. 'I'm obviously outnumbered here. No fair, you and my heart are ganging up on me.'

Kouji couldn't help but laugh at that. That was the oddest conversation they'd ever had...but it funnily enough worked. Must be their friends. 'So, deal?'

'Deal.'

'Good, then start on your lunch. You've slept through breakfast.'

Kouichi groaned again. 'I feel like I want to throw up non-existent dinner.'

'You can't. You slept through that too.'

'Nonexistent I said.'

* * *

><p>'How long do you think that's going to last?' Junpei asked, as the four crept away, having taking a momentary break to eavesdrop on the twins' conversation.<p>

'Knowing them...till the next time something bothering one of them,' Tomoki replied, turning on the TV in the empty bedroom. 'Haven't they already had the guilt discussion?'

'That was more the Kouichi dying one,' Takuya pointed out. 'And I think they'll try harder than that, so it's bound to last. When they promise each other things, they always get fulfilled.'

'Promises have power in them,' Izumi sighed, closing her eyes. 'It's beautiful.'

Her eyes flew open again though when the news made a disappointing announcement.

'_The sea of Okhotsk_ _is being closed for all tours till improvements in weather are seen, expected to be some weeks from now...'_

'No fair,' she exclaimed. 'I wanted to go on that tour.'

Tomoki beside her breathed a sigh in relief. He really hadn't, and now he won't have to.

Not that he would say that out loud though.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes**

A few notes:

Shiritori is a japanese word game that requires players to say a word which starts with the last kana of the previous word, and no words can be repeated. The person who is unable to do so, or ends with the mora _N_ (ん) loses the game, as no Japanese word begins with that character (according to Wikipedia).

The last comment about Kousei's boss was reminiscent of the Sohma family in Fruits Basket.

I got a little carried away with bored Kouichi. Hence why this is almost twice as long as I had intended it to be.

Enjoy, and tell me what you think, or I'll send the rattlesnake hiding in the bushes at ya.

Just kidding. Why would I get a rattlesnake? Cute, but dangerous.

* * *

><p><strong>Cold Trip<strong>

Sequel to Present Ideas. Mountains, snow, the sea, forests and three weeks together. What could possibly go wrong?

Kouichi K & Kouji M

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

It was a couple of days before the ex-warriors found themselves going stir crazy indoors. And so it was that the six, seated on the couches again, found them discussing the next outdoor activity...with no real success.

'I wanted to go on the ocean tour,' Izumi pouted.

'Well, you can't,' Junpei sighed. 'The passage is closed.'

'The festival isn't for another week,' Takuya groaned. 'What else is there to do around here? Apart from the mountains; I don't think your parents are going to let us go up there.'

Kouji harrumphed from beside his brother's curled up form, whose fever had broken several hours ago, and was now feeling better and about as bored as the rest of them. But while the younger's cold had faded in the space of a couple of days and some aspirin, the elder's was far more persistent due to a combination of stronger exposure and weaker immunity, so he was still coughing up mucus at intervals, and still attempting to sleep off his illness so he could enjoy the rest of the holidays.

'Isn't there skiing or sledding or anything?' Tomoki asked.

'Well...yeah,' the blonde answered. 'But we'd have to go across the mountains.'

'There is a train,' Kouji corrected. 'And I think there's a snow-sports competition all this week. It ends before the Sapparano snow festival.'

'Cool,' the youngest grinned. 'I haven't skied since Chakkmon.'

Kouichi mumbled something illegible.

'What?'

'I'm ordered indoors for the next week,' he repeated, lifting his head slightly before plopping it back down onto his arms. 'Under threat of being grounded indefinitely...which with 'kaa-san is generally over six months.'

'My mother forgets after a week,' Takuya chucked. 'And when did you get grounded?'

'Long story.'

'Which is?'

A red tinge flushed the other cheeks, but it was barely noticeable with the last remnants of the fever.

'All right,' the brunette smirked. 'Spill.'

He did no such thing.

'Ni-san,' Kouji said in a warning tone.

'It was a stupid thing really,' he sighed. 'I was sick then too, but this was when I was...four I think. When I still thought 'tou-san was going to come home.' He giggled slightly at the memory. 'I dreamt a lot, and I somehow got the crazy idea he got lost, so-'

'-so you decided to look for him?' Takuya asked, laughing outright.

'Yeah. Only it was winter: dark, freezing cold...and I just wound up getting a lot sicker. I was chasing hallucinations for hours, until a kind lady found me and called the police. I wake up about a week later in the hospital, and get grounded for making her worry so much.'

Everyone was laughing by the end of the story, except for Kouji, though he was near enough.

'You're one crazy kid.'

'I thought we already established that in Ophanimon's library.'

'Anyway,' Junpei interjected, once the twins finished their mini-conversation. 'We hit the skis then?'

Takuya, Izumi and Kouji looked at each other, then shrugged. 'I suppose it's a good thing Kouichi's never skied before.'

'How is that a good thing?' the other grumbled, half teasingly, half purposely. 'When's the next time I'll get the chance?'

The other five looked at each other. 'We could always just play games, watch-'

They were interrupted by Kouichi. 'No.'

'Kouichi...'

'You guys go out there and make sure you have a good time. Tell me about it when you get back.'

'You sure?' Kouji for one did not look convinced. 'I wouldn't feel right having fun while you're stuck here.'

'Then send some of that through ESP,' he yawned. 'I believe you promised not to be overprotective.'

'...I'm not. Am I?'

'Depends on who's perspective. And mine is the one that matters.'

The twins stared at each other for a few minutes, before Kouji sighed. 'I really want to try it out,' he admitted. 'All right then.'

'You've never tried before?' Takuya asked, before smirking. 'Cool, I'll teach you.'

'No,' he said hurriedly, before his brother's laughter interrupted him.

'Make sure you video-tape this,' he said to the only female. 'That, I've got to see.'

Izumi grinned. 'Will do.'

'_Ni-san_.'

They all laughed, the previous tension forgotten.

Until another bout of coughs completely ruined the moment...again.

* * *

><p>'I still feel bad,' Kouji sighed, slipping the hired skates onto his feet.<p>

'I think you might want to worry more about yourself,' Izumi grinned. 'Think about it, Kouichi's cosy and warm in the house, while you're about to have an accelerated skiing lesson from our resident trouble-magnet. Who wants a bet about how many bruises and scrapes you're going to get?'

'Won't the snow act as a cushion?' Takuya asked, hefting the snow poles he held before gliding over with a grace they hadn't really expected from the bubbly brunette.

'Not if he crashes into the icy parts,' the blonde pointed out, gesturing at the sharp sides of the trail.

Kouji instantly paled. 'Maybe I'll just sit-'

'No way,' Takuya interrupted, shoving him to the "beginners" slope. 'You're skating...and don't forget that race.'

'Oh god...' the raven groaned. 'You'd better not kill me.'

'Told you,' Izumi sung, waving the two off, before picking up her own poles. 'Lets hit the advanced.'

'Umm...' Junpei sounded rather reluctant. 'I'm not that good. I'll just stick to the beginners.'

'Then here.' She tossed him her cell. 'Remember, Kouichi wanted a video.'

The fifteen year old breathed a sigh of relief. He was afraid the headstrong girl would drag him to the steeper slopes.

'And then come join us. Or I'll drag you up here.'

He groaned. Perhaps he hadn't gotten off as easily as he thought.

* * *

><p>Satomi put the finishing touches on the soup, then went to look for her stepson. Knowing the boy was already bored with the shows currently running on television and had exhausted his five-book limit by two days before despite his attempt to make them last the week, she assumed he wouldn't be in the bedroom he was sharing with his brother. Unless he was sleeping in there.<p>

Turned out he wasn't. Nor was he there at all. Along with the sketchbook he had brought along.

Nor was he on the couch...not that she blamed him. It must be boring stuck in the same place for hours on end. He certainly hadn't been in the kitchen; she would have seen him...but what in the world was he drawing with cold frost clouding the windows?

She found him in front of the linen closet, drawing the said thing.

'You're drawing a closet?' she asked incredulously from the doorway.

Kouichi turned slightly, before quickly closing his book and standing up.

'Hey, easy.'

'There was nothing better to do,' the other complained, purposely ignoring the second statement.

'We could play chess,' she offered, though she knew well she wasn't much of a challenge.

'I already know how you play,' he pointed out, a polite way to show his reluctance for the idea.

'Watch the drama show they're running?'

He made a bit of a grimace, trailing behind his stepmother as she led him to the kitchen.

'Read?'

'Already read the books I brought.'

'Draw?'

'There's nothing interesting to draw.'

She sighed; Kouichi wasn't normally this difficult to appease. She supposed it had something to do with being stuck inside; despite his largely introverted nature, he hated sitting still. Not that one could tell on most occasions.

'Ironing?' Maybe chores would deter him.

'Done.'

Or not.

'When?'

'Before I started drawing the closet.'

She shook her head, torn between amusement and exasperation.

'Well...' she began, watching him spoon the broth into his mouth. 'You could finish drawing the closet.'

'Already did that.'

Another sigh. 'The rest of this place?'

'Done.'

She raised an eyebrow at that. She knew the elder twin was good at drawing; she had never seen them though. 'Can I see?'

He nodded, polishing off the bowl faster than he normally would. Must have been extremely bored drawing the closet.

Satomi flicked through the relatively new sketchbook; she knew one of the other boys had given it to him as a birthday present. She passed a park, a lake, a Sakura tree, some drawings of his family and friends, one of his school and several more of places he frequented, and towards the end, several more of their current living quarters, which between them covered every room except the ones the adults slept in and Izumi's temporary bedroom. A day well spent from boredom, she had to admit. Kouji was far worse when _he_ was sick.

Though now that occupation was done, and there was little else around to keep a teenage male entertained.

She put the book down and began on her own dinner (yesterday's leftovers); Kousei had gotten roped up with is boss again. The other kids weren't back from their third ski trip (after a bunch of other things, they found that one the most desirable) yet, and Tomoko was keeping an eye on them (just to make sure they didn't get into anything too crazy) so it was just the two of them.

Not that she approved of them staying so late. But seeing as they had a chaperone, it was okay.

And normally, the step-mother/step-son bonding opportunity would be well used. Excluding the sick factor, it wasn't going too badly. But anyone cooped up for hours on end would get grouchy by the end of it; even if it was being cooped up in a place they had never been before.

And so things were getting a little awkward for the older woman, who had never had to deal with this particular sick boy before. Kouji, despite being completely antisocial at those times, simply ignored orders to rest and went on with life as usual, relying on medication to have him back up to speed in no time...but then again, she didn't threaten him with any sort of punishment, especially not one that lasted that long. And she had his father to blame for that; for all the tough act he pulled, he was a teddy bear at heart.

'Do you want to play Tsū-ten-jakku?'

'Don't like card games,' he muttered, taking both empty dishes and depositing them in the sink, before turning on the faucet.

'Because they rely on luck?' she asked.

He made a noise that sounded like agreement.

'Shiritori?'

He considered. Normally, that game got boring rather quickly, especially when playing with an adult, but he appreciated Satomi was willing to do so with him, so he could at least attempt to keep himself occupied with it.

'Okay.'

He placed the dishes on the rack before moving to sit on the table again, only for the brunette to steer him back to the accursed couch.

'They are more comfortable,' she commented reasonably. 'I'm too young to be betting a sore back from hard wooden chairs.' She leaned back a bit. 'You want to start?'

He shook his head.

'Uhh...nashi (pear),' she began.

'Shishi (tiger).'

'Shiawase (good fortune).'

'Sekei (world).'

It went on for a few minutes, but as there was no structure in the words tossed out, both minds quickly wondered, and Satomi found herself glad she hadn't been prone to attracting illnesses as a child to have to resort to this. Of course, the wonderful country air played a large part in that.

As it was, they weren't paying too much attention to the words they said, making sure to only begin with the ending kanji...which is how the end normally appears.

And this time was no exception.

'Sakura (cherry blossom).'

'Rajio (radio).

'Onigiri (rice ball).'

'Risu (squirrel).'

'Sumou (sumo).'

'Udon (wheat flour noodle).' Kouichi said that almost listlessly. Hence why it took so long to realise his mistake. 'Oh, whoops.'

Rules were, however ended with the ん kana lost the game.

'Never mind,' the woman sighed. 'That didn't help much.' She looked at the clock. 'Do you want to nap now?'

'No.'

'Play a different game?'

'No.'

'Watch something. There's bound to be something interesting on TV?'

'No.'

'Take a nap?'

'No.'

She was out of options. 'Well, I need to start on dinner for the others. They should be back in about an hour.' She didn't ask if he wanted to help; he would not be allowed to even if he did. 'Just go watch something.'

'No.'

A raised eyebrow. 'The shows can't be that bad.'

He didn't say anything.

'Ruining a perfectly nice quilt?'

That wasn't exactly what he was doing, but it was close. Especially since he had resorted to one to no word answers, simply picking away at the hand-made quilt on his lap (he hadn't done any permanent damage yet; the picking was only gently unravelling the thread).

'Just don't go outside,' she ordered, giving up. Kouichi would just have to live with being bored for another two days till he got a clean bill of health from his mother.

Hmm...maybe she should go in to town tomorrow and pick up some things. There was only so long one could be bored to death before going crazy.

Luckily, the blanket was still within the range before no return by the time everyone made it back.

'Kouichi?' Takuya blinked, staring at the quilt, which now resembled a partial nest.

'I'm not ruining it,' he snapped, much to the others' surprise.

Kouji blinked. 'Not that I mind you snapping at him,' he began, ignoring the brunette's indignation,. 'But why are you so grouchy?'

'You try staying indoors all week when you'd rather be outside having fun with your friends,' he shot back, before wincing as soon as the words escaped his mouth. 'Sorry, it's just that I'm sick of being indoors.'

_Okay, don't feel guilty. Don't feel guilty._

The younger twin repeated the mantra to himself a few times, before being satisfied. 'We've got a full day planned on Saturday,' he comforted. 'You haven't miss a thing. Trust me.'

'Yeah,' Takuya grinned, the earlier sting long gone (he honestly couldn't blame the boy, nor could he stay mad for long at anyone). 'Not only did we save the best for last, we've squashed everything in to the day...hopefully.' He added the last bit, seeing as things never went to plan. 'Honestly, dragging that out for two weeks was hopeless. We all got bored after the first few hours.'

'You children just can't stay still,' Tomoko sighed, shrugging off your coat. 'How's your throat honey?'

'Fine,' Kouichi replied, cheered up after the conversation.

'Open wide.'

He did so, and she critically assessed the steepness. 'It looks a little red still,' she commented. 'But otherwise fine. Still coughing?'

'A little. Dry though.'

'When?'

'About lunch time.'

She looked at Satomi, who nodded in confirmation.

'Did you go outside?'

'No 'kaa-san.'

'Well, you're almost better.' She straightened up from her crouched position. 'Stay inside for just two more days, 'kay?'

''kay.' He didn't sound enthusiastic though. He didn't think he could stand another two days in the house with only his mother or stepmother to talk to.

'You know how easily you get sick when you're not completely better,' she said reprimandingly. 'And the cold doesn't help that. I don't want you catching pneumonia again.'

'I know 'kaa-san.'

'Look on the bright side,' Junpei said, taking pity on the bored boy. 'You'll have company for those two days. We're not going anywhere.'

He looked interested at that. 'Why not?'

'Cause we're bored without you,' the three brunette boys chorused.

Kousei blinked, having just walked in the door.

'What is going on here?'

'The boredom circus,' his wife told him.

'Oh, then I suppose it's a good thing this deal is all stamped and sealed. Which means-'

'Scenic tour time,' the teenagers cheered together.

'Hold on-' Tomoko began, only to be cut off by Kouichi.

'You have to let me go,' he cried. 'I'll be fine. It's not like I'll be outside for longer than ten minutes anyway. And I'm dying of boredom. Please. _Please!'_

The woman sighed. 'Oh, all right. I know a lost battle when I see one.'

The six cheered.

'But straight in the car, then bus, then straight back out.' She then noted the blanket. 'And do fix that up.'

He looked at his lap. 'Oh, whoops.' He grinned a little sheepishly. 'I was bored.'

'I can tell,' Tomoko said dryly.

'Hey,' Takuya said suddenly, as the adults retreated from the sitting room. 'Why did we have to wait for your father anyway?'

The three the question didn't relate to simply shrugged.

'Because his boss wanted to take the tour and thought it would be more fun with a large group,' Kouji replied. 'Ie. all the families and friends of his employers, so that's about forty-something people.'

The brunette whistled. 'And he afforded this for all of them.'

'He owns this,' the raven rolled his eyes. 'He needed a number to simply know which properties he could leave available for loan and which he couldn't.'

'Oh.'


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Notes**

Papier-mâché is the French (and technical) version of paper mache. You know, getting paper and glue and making a work of art? And the mess that tags along?

If anyone's curious, Izumi's shoulder healed up quite nicely. There just wasn't a good spot to mention it.

And that's it. Once I got the hang of it, this story went by so fast. But it was a small, fun ride.

Enjoy.

* * *

><p><strong>Cold Trip<strong>

Sequel to Present Ideas. Mountains, snow, the sea, forests and three weeks together. What could possibly go wrong?

Kouichi K & Kouji M

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

'Come on. Wake up already.'

Kouji groaned, before rolling over and staring blurrily at his brother. 'What time is it?'

'Seven,' the other sang. 'And 'kaa-san wants us all downstairs.'

'Uurgh,' he groaned again. 'This is too early.'

'Says the one who's always up with the sun.'

The blankets suddenly vanished, causing him to roll up tightly in cold, as Kouichi moved over to wake Takuya.

'Come on. We'll be late otherwise.'

Takuya simply swatted in thin air...until he accidently hit Junpei.

'Hey, I'm trying to sleep here,' he growled.

'And I'm trying to wake you up,' Kouichi finished, in a far better mood now that he had passed inspection and didn't have to stay cooped up in the house anymore. Seriously, it wasn't _his_ fault the jacket had been ripped clean off his back. Nor was it that the tremors had thrown him off a cliff-face.

He supposed he was extremely lucky his brain had never caught up. He probably would have been having nightmares day in and day out if it had. As it was, as far as he knew, he had been leaning over the edge to help Izumi up, then half in Junpei's hold with a jacket and glove missing and an inky blackness interrupting his cognitive processes.

Tomoki had woken up because of the noise by then. 'Already?'

'Yep. Breakfast is getting cold.'

He made his escape, but as the other three showed no signs of doing so, even with the lack of blankets on Kouji...he needed a different approach.

Good thing they weren't quite as heavy sleepers as him.

He bit his lip lightly in thought, then tossed the blankets he still held on the half-conscious Takuya. Or more specifically, his face.

Predictably, he followed that up by attempting to kick them off...so by the time he was done, he was awake, annoyed, and hungry.

'Did you have to do that?' he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

'Yep,' the other said cheerily. 'Forgot the plan for today?'

'Oh yeah...' He almost grimaced, but caught himself. 'I just forgot the early start.'

The other two rolled over again. Apparently, they had forgotten too.

Kouji yawned, sitting up and pulling his pillow out from under him. 'You never get up early.'

'Sure I do,' the other grinned, seeing the projectile before it launched and ducking in the nick of time, the pillow sailing above his head and hitting the adult standing in the doorway.

Three of the four froze awkwardly at the sound. The one who had thrown the pillow however...apparently, he hadn't heard, or seen.

'That's for stealing the blankets-' he began, before cutting off and staring at his father in the doorway, torn between sternness and amusement at the situation. 'Uh, I mean-'

'Downstairs in five,' was all the man said, turning heel and drifting back into the dining room.

Kouichi wore a similar sort of expression, drifting off after him and leaving the others to work out bathroom calls.

* * *

><p>'C'mon Kouji, don't be a spoil-sport,' Takuya whined, tugging on the raven as he tried to hit him away with the poles, with little success. Tomoki was behind them, helping the elder twin on with the skates of the likes he had never touched nor worn before in his life, while Izumi simply stood on the sidelines and laughed. 'You didn't go anywhere except the bunny slope last time.'<p>

'For a good reason,' the other growled threateningly, meeting his brother's laughing eyes. 'How come you get Tomoki while I'm stuck with this idiot?'

Kouichi shrugged, straightening and almost slipping before the younger nudged his leg to help him regain his balance. 'They volunteered? And don't be mean Kouji.'

'I'm not.' And the other stubbornly pouted. 'But he can't teach me to skate.'

'Oh come on buddy,' the brunette prompted, giving him a hard shove...towards the intermediate slope. 'You'll thank me later.'

It was only to save his pride that he didn't scream as he barrelled straight into a large pile of snow.

'You forgot to steer,' Takuya yelled, while the other four managed to stifle their laughter.

'Don't worry Kouichi-nii,' Tomoki said, skating over to the beginner's slope while demonstrating what to do with the poles as the other clumsily made to copy...marginally successfully. Junpei, standing on the sidelines with Izumi, had to help him up twice before he made it over. 'We'll be sticking to the bunny slopes...for now.'

'Hold on,' Kouji interrupted. 'You can't honestly expect him to be able to tackle the mountain.'

He grinned cheekily, reminiscent of his surrogate brother. 'He's a faster learner than you. Remember how long it took for you to be able to move three feet with the skates on?'

Izumi laughed again, green eyes twinkling. 'Well, I'll bet neither of you will be there,' she called, skating off with Junpei in tow.

'Cookies?' the elder asked. 'If you lose.'

She smirked. 'What are you wagering?'

'I think they'll both be there. I'll wager a premium chocolate bar?'

'Three, for a nice big box of homemade cookies. Deal?'

'Deal.'

The four managed to hear that agreement before they got out of earshot.

'So...we bet for our own twin,' Takuya shrugged. 'But what are we wagering?'

The twins shared a glance. 'And we're betting for what then?' Kouji asked, not sure if he was too keen on the idea. 'There's nothing left.'

'We're can't,' Kouichi sighed. 'We're the spectacles.'

'So we do the hard work and get nothing in return. Figures.'

The brunette pair ignored them.

'Hmm...' Tomoki mused. 'How about movie tickets? Yutaka got a part time job at the theatre.'

'Cool, and I'll-um-I'll-' He broke off, coming up almost blank. 'Hold on, movie tickets are far more expensive than bars of chocolate and cookies. That would be entirely unfair.'

'True. I'll make burgers then.'

'Yum. Maybe I should do that to-'

'No!' The three exclaimed.

'Kidding,' Takuya grinned. 'But since I can't cook-I know! Kaa-san's onigiri.'

'I wouldn't count that,' Kouji muttered.

'Would you rather eat something _he_ cooks?' his brother asked, amused.

'Hell no.'

'Then deal with it like a good little boy.'

Before the comment fully registered, Tomoki had led Kouichi out of earshot, leaving the two best friends at the edge of the intermediate slope again.

'All right. This time _try_ going farther than the first pile,' Takuya grinned, giving him another push.

He managed, only to crash into the third one.

'Well, that was better, wasn't it?'

Kouji just spat snow out of his mouth in reply.

* * *

><p>It turned out Junpei was right. Even more so, that Kouji was wrong. Both twins attempted the mountain at the end, and it turned out Tomoki was a rather excellent teacher (or perhaps Kouichi was simply a good student) because he managed to make it to the bottom somehow...though he looked like he had been rather tempted to scream along the way. He admitted, after tumbling to the bottom in a heap, that it was a once in a lifetime experience...that he was not going to do again without a <em>lot<em> more practice.

And Kouji made it too...which meant he had to face up to Takuya's gloating. It had been a lose-lose situation anyway.

Which meant that essentially only Izumi lost the bet. Not that she minded; she got plenty of blackmail for both twins (although she wasn't sure how effective it would be on Kouichi).

And plenty more photos as they sped through all the other attractions.

In all honestly, they weren't even sure how they managed to get through it all, but seeing as they collapsed as soon as they made it back, they attributed it to the adrenaline.

Suffice to say, they were a lot harder to wake up the following day...especially since the festival wouldn't wait for them an hour longer.

* * *

><p>'This is so cool,' Tomoki exclaimed, staring in fascination at the ice sculptures and snow statues that littered the Community Dome Tsudome, particularly looking longingly at the competition going on. 'I wish I could enter that.'<p>

'We don't have time,' Junpei pointed out, though he had wanted to enter himself. As had Kouichi, but as he said, there wasn't time. 'We need to leave for the airport in an hour.'

Kouji and Takuya had briefly enjoyed the winter wonderland, but were both now rather bored. 'Honestly,' Izumi had sighed before joining the elder twin. 'You boys have no artistic talent.'

'Maybe we can't see what's so fascinating about watching this stuff for hours on end,' Takuya had shouted back.

Luckily, Izumi hadn't heard.

And unfortunately for them, Kousei, having noted their lack of commitment, sent them to herd up the others half an hour later. Luckily too, seeing as it took the remaining half hour to track down the others, namely Kouichi and Tomoko, both lacking cell phones. Izumi's was out of batteries with all the pictures and videos she had taken all week.

'This problem will be solved by tomorrow,' she sighed once they were in the taxis again, glaring at the uncharged device, though she was really talking to Kouichi in the back seat. 'Then you'll have a phone and someone won't be racing all over the place trying to find you.'

Tomoko laughed, a twin on either side of her. 'Provided he remembers it,' she pointed out.

''kaa-san, my memory isn't that bad.'

'Oh isn't it?' she teased him fondly. 'How many tests do you forget about? And all the assignments you have to run back home and get? Good thing Teruo-kun reminds you of them.'

He blushed as Kouji hid his giggles.

'Hey, I bet 'tou-san can tell plenty of embarrassing stories of you too!'

'Then I'd better make the most of it,' Kouji grinned, turning back to his mother. 'Do you have any more?'

'Well...' the woman said, drawing out the amusing torture. 'There was the time his grandmother was teaching him to make papier-mâché...'

* * *

><p><em><strong>The End<strong>_


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